We're getting our first look into
San Diego Police reports that
paint an ugly picture when it
comes to enforcement and race.
A new California law went into
effect on January 1st that led to
the release of never before seen
reports that reinforce accusations of
racial profiling and excessive force.
CBS, it's Kirsten Holmes,
and our investigation team obtained those
documents and analyzed the information.
We want to warn viewers that what you're
about to see is difficult to watch.
So you have no idea.
This video shows excessive force
used on a juvenile in March of 2020,
and it is just one of many incidents
coming to light after the release
of SDPD police misconduct reports.
Advocates are glad these incidents
are now being made public,
but they also worry about what they show
often have to worry about my children
being out on the streets and potentially
being stopped by law enforcement. What
would make you believe that?
Because your children are black
that they would have an issue with
law enforcement here in San Diego
because of Senate Bill 16's release
of of of police personnel files that
show that they have discriminated
against individuals who were black.
CBS8 scour through these reports and
found many racially charged accusations
against the San Diego Police Department.
In February of 2020 an off duty SCPD
officer was arrested in Old Town after
officers on the scene say he was drunk.
Making racial slurs and trying to start
a fight and did indeed say quote I'm a
cop and I kill the N word for a living.
You're not yourself.
In another case from January 2021,
an SDPD Sergeant was overheard saying
his canine only likes dark meat.
That's a racial epithet,
and he used it more than once.
Someone saying canines only bite dark
meat still left in a supervisors position.
You look at Senate Bill 16 release on
SDPD's website and you can tell that
the worst of the worst were left.
To patrol and harm people who look like us.
Another finding a cardboard cut out
of rapper Rick Ross in an SDPD lineup,
saying every day I'm hustling to
the beat of the rappers hit song.
Asking officers to sign up for overtime.
What's your estimation of their
rollout of SB16 and their compliance?
I am finding more and more that
there are plenty of officers
whose personnel records,
disciplinary records and
complaints were not released.
And are being withheld.
CBS8 has reached out to SDPD
several times for comment on this
investigation, but so far San Diego
police have not responded. This
is simply why we continue to ask as
a whole collective of activists and
community members that the police
does not police itself and release
their tickets, release their stops,
release their use of force, make it public.
Let us know exactly how far
the discrimination goes.
What they tell me when I ask for
public records request is that
it is in the best interest of
the Community not to release.
Why do they say that? Because it's going
to be very damning.
We have a job to do.
Michael Sierra Ravalo,
an assistant sociology professor from
the University of Texas at Austin,
says race is a problem with
policing because the history of
the institution for a lot of the
country started with slave patrol.
Be unfortunate.
An undeniable history of the origins
of the institution of policing in
the United States officers today.
Are not responsible for that history,
but they are responsible, in my view,
for the consequences of that history,
Michael admits.
Lack of transparency or not
taking interviews or answering
questions actually work against
already overloaded officers
who are often understaffed,
overworked and underpaid,
and for most officers
working today in 2023.
With all these broken pieces and they're
told to pick them up with limited
tools and limited resources. How do we
fix this, Tasha? Oh
yes, zero tolerance.
You know how they have 0 tolerance
on criminals in the community?
They need to have that same
feeling about their own officers.
It's very hard.
When you have children.
And people can do whatever they want to them.
No matter how respectful your children are.
A law enforcement officer can
come and beat them to death.
Do you feel safe? I do not.